On the morning of 14 July 2026, the first contingent of the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, specializing in ground forest firefighting, departed for the Thessaloniki region of the Hellenic Republic (Greece). The Moldovan firefighters will take part in a Pre-positioning Mission under the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, TRIBUNA reports.

The deployment follows a request for international assistance submitted by the Greek authorities through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

The official send-off ceremony was attended by Victor Grosu, State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Nicolaos Krikos, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to the Republic of Moldova, and the leadership of the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations.

Officials noted that the participation of Moldovan firefighters in this mission is further proof of the professionalism, preparedness, and operational capabilities of IGSU personnel to take part in international emergency response missions.

They also emphasized that Moldova’s involvement in operations conducted under the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism strengthens international cooperation in emergency management, promotes the exchange of experience with European partners, and contributes to the continuous development of the institution’s response capabilities.

From 14 July to 1 August 2026, the first rotation of IGSU’s specialized ground forest firefighting module will be deployed to Greece. The contingent consists of 24 firefighters and seven vehicles.

The team is made up of rescuers and firefighters specially trained to operate in high-risk conditions. During the mission, the Moldovan personnel will conduct preventive patrols and monitoring in designated high wildfire-risk areas and will work alongside colleagues from Greece and other participating countries to contain and extinguish forest fires.

The mission also provides an opportunity to exchange experience with intervention teams from participating countries and to apply European best practices in forest fire management.

The objective of the Pre-positioning Programme is to reduce response times in the event of forest fires by carrying out monitoring, preventive patrols, and firefighting operations in areas designated by the local authorities.

In 2026, IGSU’s specialized ground forest firefighting team will participate in wildfire support missions in Greece for the fourth time and for the third time as a full member of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

The first mission of Moldovan firefighters to Greece took place in 2021 on the island of Evia, where a contingent of 25 rescuers participated in operations to extinguish large-scale forest fires.

In 2025, an IGSU team comprising 44 firefighters and eight vehicles was deployed to the Patras region on the Peloponnese Peninsula, where Moldovan firefighters responded to more than 30 wildfire locations, assisting the Greek authorities in managing emergency situations.

Moldova’s participation in these missions contributes to strengthening Europe’s emergency response capacity and highlights the professionalism of Moldovan firefighters in international operations.